When the surface of an image display apparatus such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode-ray tube display apparatus (CRT), a plasma display (PDP), or an electroluminescence display (ELD) is flawed by external contact, the visibility of a display image may reduce. Accordingly, an optical laminate including a base material film and a hard coat layer has been used for the purpose of protecting the surface of the image display apparatus. Triacetylcellulose (TAC) has been representatively used in the base material film of the optical laminate. However, the base material film formed of TAC has a high moisture permeability. Accordingly, when the optical laminate including such base material film is used in the LCD, the following problem arises. Under high temperature and high humidity, moisture permeates the optical laminate to deteriorate the optical characteristics of a polarizer. In recent years, the LCD has been frequently used in devices to be used outdoors such as a car navigation system and a personal digital assistant in addition to indoor use, and hence a high-reliability LCD that does not cause the problem even under severe conditions such as high temperature and high humidity has been required.
An optical laminate obtained by applying a composition for forming a hard coat layer to a low-moisture permeability cycloolefin base material film has been proposed for solving the problem (Patent Literature 1). However, such cycloolefin base material film involves the following problem. The base material film has poor adhesiveness with a hard coat layer. In addition, the following problem arises. Interference unevenness occurs owing to a difference in refractive index between the base material film and the hard coat layer. Further, the cycloolefin base material film involves the following problem. The base material film does not have a sufficient UV absorbing ability and hence the optical characteristics of an optical laminate using the base material film deteriorate owing to, for example, ambient light. Accordingly, an optical laminate that uses a base material film having low moisture permeability and a high UV absorbing ability, but suppresses interference unevenness by satisfying sufficient adhesiveness between the base material film and a hard coat layer has not yet been put into practical use.